Posts by Matthew Young35

Rachel Cooper3 said:The only honest one left.

I generally have little patience for those who whine about everything being broken yet refuse to actually vote—but between these two candidates, there truly isn't another option. Or, one could simply spoil the ballot.

In case anyone missed it—yet again—we just witnessed another election where the Republican Party and the Democratic Party walked away with the lion's share of the votes. Is anyone actually surprised? 🙏 ☕

I was watching some political talk show recently—can't recall the network, maybe CNN or something similar—hosted by a woman with short hair. Honestly, who exactly is entitled to a vote these days? 🤣
Maybe we should implement a psychological evaluation before anyone even thinks about stepping foot on the ballot? Just a thought—but wouldn't that be more sensible?

A majority? They secured it by combining just under 80% of the vote.

To hell with the elections.

I've been preoccupied with something far more significant.

Is it correctly written as "jab" or should it be "ja b"?

I’m truly heartbroken that the spokesperson for that arrogant neo-Nazi wasn't selected.
Pathetic.

Look, Mitt Romney is playing this hand specifically because she expects to be elected, yet you all refuse to give her any actual legitimacy.
Poor thing—without that mandate, she’ll just be sweating bullets while trying to embrace a bunch of con artists.

I checked out The Witcher because of the buzz on Reddit here.
It’s absolute garbage, sitting right up there with those Shannara and Dungeons & Dragons series.
The acting? Barely an improvement over General.
And the dialogue? It feels like reading a dusty, outdated Western novel.

It’s a total waste of what could have been a solid concept.

Comparing this to Game of Thrones is honestly laughable. Game of Thrones is lightyears ahead in every single category.

Patrick Martin said:I wasn't following this, and honestly, I don't have the energy to slog through all the crap you guys just typed out. But seriously, can someone please give me the TL;DR? What’s the actual beef here, who's fighting, and what's the deal with Paul Martinez73 versus everyone else?

Paul Martinez73 is just some guy on the forum who accused me of being an atheist—claiming I have a tree and nativity scenes at my place and that I go to Christmas markets.
I told him straight up: no tree, no nativity scenes, and I don't do the holiday markets.
After that, we had a minor linguistic debate, and that was that.
There isn't actually a problem.

Paul Martinez73 said:It’s pretty much what Noah would have typed, so why not just ask him instead?
To answer Matthew Young35—even though I already said I wouldn't bother replying anymore—and this Henry guy who keeps trying to walk a fine line with those cheap little jabs...
Matthew, look, sorry German is my primary language, so I end up typing everything in caps out of pure habit. Sometimes I accidentally capitalize Streetcar, oops, my bad. Feel free to correct me if you're feeling helpful; maybe fix my posts and it'll eventually stick...
And yeah, back in the day, I actually carried a Party booklet and a "slip" to churches to check people in (is that alright now?). We didn't use Social Security numbers back then, so sometimes things just slipped through the cracks...

Take darkseal9, for instance—I definitely didn't sign him up.

No problem at all. I got the impression you were implying that you capitalize Church out of respect. I just wanted to point out that "the Church" and "a church" aren't quite the same thing. As far as I'm concerned, you can write CHURCH, ChUrCh, or cHrCh for all I care.
I'm no grammar Nazi; I make plenty of mistakes myself when posting on forums. Every now and then, I'll correct someone who is persistently wrong without being malicious, and I appreciate it when people correct me too. It happens.

As for Tekica, I wasn't calling you out. I was simply explaining what a Tekica is. If you have an issue with that, take it up with someone else.

darkseal9 said:Seriously Tekica, thanks for pointing that out, but what's the deal, Tekica?

If they tie it up for ten days, whoever here in the CDN area can actually manage—and I don't mean money, I mean who actually has the time to get work done...

Tekica, you remind me of those people back in the USSR era—the ones crowding the altar today, but who used to spend their time logging everyone attending Mass just to send those records over to the CK.

The Church, when referred to as an institution, is capitalized because it functions as a proper noun in this context, rather than out of any specific sense of deference.
🤦

darkseal9 said:It wasn't exactly "sleazy" when the Church was busy organizing all those cash grabs and ini donations during the American Civil War (we all know how much ended up being stolen)
you guys act like the Republican Party are the only thieves, and everyone else is just pure gold

I seriously don't get the people who get all worked up over decorated trees. Like, if it pisses you off that much, just go fishing for ten days or something and stop looking at it.

And imagine if a believer brought this topic up during Christmas, wow
At this rate, you won't even be able to call yourself an American. People will spend three days screaming about where you put the little stuff or why you didn't use a capital letter. You don't even have a comma in your post!
We basically robbed some folks and stole their Christmas tree when we could have just decorated a candy jar instead. It's funny we haven't dug up the data on how many people we cursed out while doing it.
but whatever

Since when do we take ten days off?
Well, not everyone works at City Hall or Duke Energy, I suppose.
It’s only two days off, not ten.

darkseal9 said:Hey, I went out with my grandma—what’s wrong with that?
Where did you go? To the park with your auntie?
Stop messing with him, man. Can't you just chill?

I don't think you quite grasped what he was saying.
He didn't say his aunt, he said his "Tekica."

Eric Fox7 said:Why are you capitalizing church and mosque?

Anyway, I actually go to church myself, and honestly, it really rubs me the wrong way when they start bringing politics into the sermon—especially when it feels like they're just shoving their own opinions down everyone's throats.

The way you're looking at this is just classic small-town narrow-mindedness—which, if we're being real, is exactly why people love to make fun of those "traditional" religious types here in the States.

When you refer to the Church as an organization—like the Catholic Church—it takes a capital letter.
In fact, there were several spots where using a capital was perfectly correct.
A church with a lowercase "c" is just a building.
As for a mosque, it should always be lowercase unless it starts a sentence.

Pretty simple to remember, isn't it?

Ashley Bailey6 said:I have one question for you then.

If you aren't an atheist, what are you?

And don't say agnostic. That's just a fancy way of saying "I can't decide if I want to eat or sleep."

Don't be like that.
I used to call myself an agnostic, too.
I spent plenty of time pondering the universe, only to realize I had no clue if God actually existed.
But somewhere around age 11 or 12, it clicked. I wasn't an agnostic; I was an atheist, plain and simple.

Larry Fox5 said:I’ve got some Muslim friends living over in Germany who celebrate Christmas just like everyone else. People have basically embraced that part of the tradition as their own—when I asked them why, they just said the whole Christmas vibe is awesome and they love the gift-giving season.
Honestly, I think it's great. Even when I find myself in Muslim countries during Eid, it feels totally normal to celebrate alongside my buddies... even though I'm not exactly a religious guy. I wouldn't call myself an atheist, either.

From what I understand, decorating a Pine tree actually started back in Freiburg—they used to put treats on a tree outside a butcher shop during Christmas to give gifts to the local kids in need.
Every kid was allowed to grab one gift that day.

Christmas is just a huge part of our culture at this point, regardless of what we actually believe...

Wouldn't it have been more logical to hang cuts of meat on the tree if it was sitting in front of a butcher shop?

And if we were following actual logic today, we wouldn't be hanging ornaments and candy on the tree; we'd be hanging ornaments and pork hams.

Rachel Cooper3 said:I honestly have to wonder if any of you are actually sane.

Tansre Žićbo—whether he celebrates or not—deserves nothing but the best.

🤷
And that, well, only halfway there.

Whether Tansre Žićbo celebrates or stays quiet, I wish him nothing but the best.

And to you too, son.

Paul Martinez73 said:The way you and Matthew Young35 keep trying to justify yourselves is just... honestly, it’s getting pretty ridiculous.
So, Antifa members can't be Catholic? Is that how it works now...
Since when does staying home on a Federal holiday suddenly mean you're endorsing whatever political cause is currently trending...
Nobody’s stopping you from just staying home today, hanging out, and skipping work...

We’re all sitting here talking about how hypocritical it is when people suddenly start clinging to religion and old traditions just because it’s "trendy" or "hipster" right now. If you're going to make that claim, then actually stick to it and try living through a single day without a Christmas tree, gift-giving, or any of that other stuff... Besides, Santa Claus originally stems from Saint Nicholas, except Coca-Cola basically commercialized him into this whole Christmas icon we call Santa Claus today.

Excuse me, but who exactly am I justifying myself to, and for what?
To you?
Don't be absurd.
Am I supposed to apologize because I have a Nativity scene and a tree at home and attend Midnight Mass?
Actually, I don't go to Mass, and I don't even have a tree or a Nativity scene.

I told you quite clearly that I celebrate the federal holiday, not some religious or spiritual event.

As far as I'm concerned, Christmas is just a day for eating and drinking.
If there were believers living under my roof, then sure, I’d have a pine tree and a Nativity scene—and maybe even a glowing statue of the Virgin Mary—not out of faith, but simply out of respect for my housemates.

About ten or fifteen years ago, I attended Midnight Mass once, but not for myself; I went out of respect for the group I was with and their wishes. I'm not a partybreaker. If the group had wanted to go to a mosque, I would have gone to a mosque.

If I lived with a small child, I'd have a tree too. Kids get excited about it, and they start asking why all the other kids have a tree and we don't.

But as it stands? What use do I have for a tree in my house?

Paul Martinez73 said:Just try to dig your way out now. You basically wrote, "Should I go on a trip while my family stays home on a budget of $1.50?" and wondered what that says about you. Just admit you looked foolish and leave it at that. Don't keep digging a deeper hole...
And apparently, people can be both staunch communists and devout believers since they celebrate May Day too.

I already posted my thoughts regarding America back on November 29th.

As for this second point, I was calling you a communist. Regarding the 1.5 thing, I didn't even bring up America.

Focus. Read what I actually wrote.
I realize it’s difficult and that reading all these letters is probably an overwhelming chore, but at least try.

Paul Martinez73 said:Are you aware that May 1st is an international Labor Day? It’s not some kind of Yugo-nostalgic holiday... what on earth does that have to do with Christmas? 🤣
Those leftists and their obsession with international Labor Day... 🤣

You've proven more than a few times now that you haven't the slightest clue what you're actually talking about, so I'm done wasting my breath on these debates with you... Goodbye.

Regarding America, I was referring to November 29th, which used to be Republic Day.

Paul Martinez73 said:You clearly don't know enough...☕
Decorating a fir tree is deeply tied to Christianity; there’s just some speculation regarding the exact origins and how the tradition of decorating a fir tree for Christmas started. But if you look into it, you can trace it back to very early times, most often originating in Germany, where the connection is exclusively Christian—those are the strongest theories out there.

Do you decorate a fir tree on other days too? Why don't you celebrate by decorating a tree and getting drunk and overeating on other holidays or special occasions?

Here's a little bit of free education for you...
https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/trees.shtml

Also, giving gifts at Christmas is exclusively and solely linked to Christianity and how the Three Kings gave gifts to Jesus Christ.

So, my dear Redditors, whether you want to admit it or not, today you've found a piece of Faith and the Catholic Church within yourselves; you're participating in it, and through that, you've realized that Jesus was born today. With your joy, songs, drinking, and eating, you are celebrating His birthday.

That's my boy Anthony Jackson2, acting like you're raising your hand to say you aren't a Nazi, but that the Nazis just took it from the Romans... while basically admitting you're an idiot in the process.

Yes, you are absolutely right.
Back in America, Carols were celebrated on November 29th, and people were essentially celebrating America, discovering a deep sense of American identity within themselves.

At the same time, people celebrate May Day.
Which means we have a situation where people are simultaneously communists and believers.

Do you work on May Day? Do you go on an outing with your family?
What does that say about you?

Patrick Martin said:...I'm walking around hanging red hats and fairy lights on the walls, treating myself and my buddies to some nice gifts, and blowing a massive amount of cash. It's pure commercialism, man.

For us atheists, Christmas is basically just a day off work—a commercial holiday just like Halloween. Honestly, who cares? We don't work, we stay home with the family, and then we head out at night to grab drinks with the crew and just mess around.

Edit: And honestly, what's better? Most of you Catholics do the exact same thing. Instead of looking for Jesus under the tree, you've got a chocolate Santa Claus there instead. Instead of actual religious hymns, you've got pop songs blasting from speakers while people knock back their seventeenth beer, talking about patriotism around the table while the cleaning crew scrubs the plates that the whole Catholic crowd just finished using for lunch.[/I]

Looking at this parasitic mindset of yours, all I see are the core foundations of communism. Seriously, give me a break.

Good grief, you clearly have no idea what communism actually is.